Aaron Rodgers is leaving Green Bay with gratitude as opposed to bitterness.
With the Packers having traded the 39-year-old star quarterback to the Jets, Rodgers posted a lengthy thank you note to the franchise and its fans on Instagram.
“Thank you. ❤️,” Rodgers began the post.
“I’m not sure it’s possible to fully express the gratitude that I have to the @packers our incredible fans, the state of Wisconsin, the thousands of players that I crossed paths with, the incredible men and women who work for the organization, and the amazing people who I got to meet along the way, in one post with 10 pictures, but I hope you read this and feel my heart and soul, filled with love, joy, and peace about my time in green and gold. ????????
“I grew up in Green Bay, drafted at 21, fell in love with the game, met some lifelong friends, and take with me memories that will last a lifetime.”
Rodgers posted a number of slides on the Instagram entry, that included his 2005 draft day photo after famously falling to the Packers at No. 24, a picture of him after the Packers defeated the Steelers in Super Bowl 45 in early 2011 and photos with beloved teammates such as David Bakhtiari, Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams and John Kuhn.
He went on to thank a number of Packers coaches, staffers and front office executives, past and present.
On Monday, after months of speculation and rumors, the Jets and Packers came to an agreement on a trade that brings four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers to New York.
The trade immediately upgrades the Jets from rising team to playoff contender with the hopes that Rodgers will help break one of the longest active postseason droughts in sports.
The Jets receive: Aaron Rodgers, No. 15 pick (2023) and No. 170 pick (2023).
The Packers receive: No. 13 pick (2023), No. 42 pick (2023), No. 207 pick (2023) and a conditional second-round 2024 draft pick that conveys to a first-rounder if Rodgers plays 65% of the Jets’ plays in 2023.
The trade still needs to be finalized — the terms of Rodgers’ contract need to be worked out — and sent to the NFL.
Both teams will begin feeling this deal as early as Thursday at the 2023 NFL Draft.
For the Packers, it’s now about getting fourth-year QB Jordan Love ready to take over. With Gang Green, it’s about getting a whole host of new faces on the same page offensively.
The 39-year-old was out and about in Calabasas, Calif. when he got word of the trade, all smiles as he picked up coffee and groceries. For Rodgers and Jets fans, it’s hopefully just the beginning of their good times.
Read more of The Post’s Aaron Rodgers coverage
“I’m grateful to the late Ted Thompson for drafting me, for my head coaches, especially the 13 years with Mike McCarthy, and the last 4 with Matt LaFleur. I had some incredible men to work with in the QB room over the years including Tom, AVP, Luke, and Connor,” Rodgers continued in his note.
“Huge thank you to my guys in the equipment room, Red, TBone, Odea, Kev, Bryan, Andy Grouber, All my dear friends in the training room over the years, Nate, Flea, Doc McKenzie, Doc Gray, Pepp, and Cuz. The legendary Adam Korzun and his incredible staff; Dougie, Crabby, and Scotty, for always looking out for me; Tom, Nate, Sarah, and Jason in PR, Evan for bringing my work life to film, The Rock and Wayne, for giving words to the highlights of my career.
“Grey, and Big Rob for your work with our guys over the years, Bloke, Thad, Grant and Gizz in the weight room, Bob Harlan, Russ Ball, Mark Murphy and Brian Gutekunst for your stewardship of the organization, every one on the 3rd and 4th floors who make that building run smoothly, and so many countless others at the loading dock, tours, concessions, maintenance, our field crew, etc.”
Rodgers concluded by thanking his fans and teammates, and vowing to one day return to Lambeau Field.
“To the fans, THANK YOU, you made every run out of the tunnel special, every home game magical, and it was my honor to be your QB,” Rodgers wrote.
“To my teammates, I love you all, and am thankful for the moments on and off the field that brought us close. I played with legends, I played with friends; thanks for believing in me and having my back always ❤️
Want to catch a game? The Jets schedule with links to buy tickets can be found here.
“This is not the end for us, I will see you again Green Bay, you’ll always have my heart ❤️.”
Rodgers, who won four MVPs with the Packers, ended the note by signing it “12” — his number for his 18 seasons in Green Bay — plus hashtags reading “grateful” and “18 years” with green and gold heart emojis.